| While scientists developed sensory-input
| |
| | integral part of synthetic worlds. The
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| devices to mimic the sensations of a
| |
| | buying and selling of goods, as the
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| virtual world, the games industry
| |
| | game's inhabitants go about their daily
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| eschewed this hardware-based approach in
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| | business, lends realism and vibrancy to
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| favour of creating alternative realities
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| | the virtual realm. But in-game economies
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| through emotionally engaging software.
| |
| | tend to be unusual in several ways. They
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| "It turns out that the way humans are
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| | are run to maximise fun, not growth or
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| made, the software-based approach seems
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| | overall wellbeing. And inflation is often
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| to have much more success," writes Edward
| |
| | rampant, due to the convention that
|
| Castronova in an illuminating guide to
| |
| | killing monsters produces a cash reward
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| these new synthetic worlds.Millions of
| |
| | and the supply of monsters isunlimited in
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| people now spend several hours a week
| |
| | many games. As a result, the value of
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| immersed in "massively multiplayer online
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| | in-game currency is constantly falling
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| role-playing games" (MMORPGs). These are
| |
| | and prices are constantly rising.Mr
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| often Tolkienesque fantasy worlds in
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| | Castronova's analysis of the economics of
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| which players battle monsters, go on
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| | fun is intriguing. Virtual-world
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| quests, and build up their virtual power
| |
| | economies are designed to make the
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| and wealth. Some synthetic worlds are
| |
| | resulting game interesting and enjoyable
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| deliberately escapist; others are
| |
| | for their inhabitants. Many games follow
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| designed to be as lifelike and realistic
| |
| | a rags-to-riches storyline, for example.
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| as possible. Many have a strong
| |
| | But how can all the players end up in the
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| libertarian bent. Sociologists and
| |
| | top 10%? Simple: the upwardly mobile
|
| anthropologists have written about
| |
| | human players need only be a subset of
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| MMORPGs before, but Mr Castronova looks
| |
| | the world's population. An underclass of
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| at the phenomenon from a new perspective:
| |
| | computer-controlled "bot" citizens,
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| economics.Mr Castronova's thesis is that
| |
| | meanwhile, stays poor for ever. Mr
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| these synthetic worlds are increasingly
| |
| | Castronova explains all this with
|
| inter-twined with the real world. In
| |
| | clarity, wit and a merciful lack of
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| particular, real-world trade of in-game
| |
| | academic jargon.Some of his conclusions
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| items, swords, gold, potions, or even
| |
| | may sound far-fetched. In particular, he
|
| whole characters is flourishing in online
| |
| | suggests that as synthetic worlds
|
| marketplaces such as eBay. World of
| |
| | continue to grow in popularity,
|
| Warcraft Gold, EQ2 Gold, DAOC Plat and
| |
| | substantial numbers of people will choose
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| other game currencies have been traded in
| |
| | to spend large parts of their lives
|
| dedicated webstores for many years. This
| |
| | immersed in them. Some players could then
|
| means in-game items and currency have
| |
| | fall victim to what Mr Castronova calls
|
| real value. In 2002, Mr Castronova
| |
| | "toxic immersion", in which their virtual
|
| famously calculated the GNP per capita of
| |
| | lives take precedence, to the detriment
|
| the fictional game-world of "EverQuest"
| |
| | of their real-world lives.But perhaps
|
| as $2,000, comparable to that of
| |
| | this is not so implausible. It is already
|
| Bulgaria, and far higher than that of
| |
| | possible to make a living by working in a
|
| India or China. Furthermore, by "working"
| |
| | virtual world, as the "farmers"
|
| in the game to generate virtual wealth
| |
| | demonstrate. In one survey, 20% of MMORPG
|
| and then selling the results for real
| |
| | players said they regarded the game world
|
| money, it is possible to generate about
| |
| | as their "real" place of residence; Earth
|
| $3.50 per hour.Companies in China pay
| |
| | is just where they eat and sleep. In
|
| thousands of people, known as "farmers",
| |
| | July, a South Korean man died after a
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| to play MMORPGs all day, and then profit
| |
| | 50-hour MMORPG session. And the Chinese
|
| from selling the in-game goods they
| |
| | government has recently tried to limit
|
| generate to other players for real
| |
| | the number of hours that can be spent
|
| money.Land and other in-game property has
| |
| | playing MMORPGs each day.As technology
|
| been sold for huge sums. In some Asian
| |
| | improves, players could make enough money
|
| countries, where MMORPGs are particularly
| |
| | to pay for the upkeep of their real-world
|
| popular, in-game thefts and cheats have
| |
| | bodies while they remain fully immersed
|
| led to real-world arrests and
| |
| | in the virtual world. Mr Castronova is
|
| legalaction. In one case in South Korea,
| |
| | right when he concludes that "we should
|
| the police intervened when a hoard of
| |
| | take a serious look at the game we have
|
| in-game money was stolen and sold,
| |
| | begun to play."Richard Kingston, 14-year
|
| netting the thieves $1.3m. In-game money
| |
| | veteran MMORPG player, is an
|
| is, in short, no less real than the
| |
| | internationally recognized expert on
|
| dollars and pounds stored in conventional
| |
| | computer gaming, virtual markets.
|
| bank accounts.Virtual economies are an
| |
| |
|
